Mark Bittman could save you from the annual Thanksgiving disaster brought about by too much food in too small a kitchen. In 101 Head Starts on the Day, he opens with an obvious suggestion:
For cooks, most Thanksgiving problems are brought about by the sheer number of dishes competing for the stove: It’s not easy to roast a turkey and sweet potatoes for 20 at the same time. The best solution is to make food in advance, like one of the dishes that follow.
Read through the list, or, better still, print it out and send it to whomever is managing your Thanksgiving kitchen. The list of relishes, chutneys, and jams alone will save you from another year of the gloppy red stuff that schlorrps out of a can.